Home
by Scared Swan
Summary: Six months later, Clarke returns.


**I've been working on an AU for weeks that has me going crazy (it has over 5k words and I ain't done), so that's why I've been absent. This little thing is to tide us (me) over till then, and generally through the hiatus.**

**I'm still not over the episode, by the way. Holla if you aren't either!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

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_I bear it so that they don't have to_.

It's the last thing he hears before he wakes up. It's _always_ the last thing he hears before he wakes up. His dreams, no longer filled with memories of his mother and Octavia, with dreams of the three of them on the ground, but with the sounds of drilling and screaming, and the smell of death. The mark that Mount Weather left on the 42 (_Forty-two_, he often thinks as he keeps a close eye on the kids as he'd promised, _fifty-eight dead on his watch_) was fading slowly, _slowly_. The first nights had been the worst. Bellamy hadn't slept at all, running from one side of the camp to the other, comforting the kids who woke up screaming, drying tears of those who had no parents to do so. He once held Jasper for half an hour; the poor kid had been screaming everyone awake.

He rolls over on his back, sighing deeply at the roof of his tent. He had been offered a room in the ark, but he never wanted to live inside a mental container ever again. It reminded him too much of the nights that he had to keep Octavia quiet and under the floor, and he had enough to deal with. He liked the tent, it reminded him off the days where everything was simple, just a couple of months ago. Where he and Clarke were in charge together, where they used his tent as a place to come up with plans for the camp and the kids...

He groans, heisting himself up out of bed and sneaking towards Raven's gate. He needs some free air, the gates are smothering him and he just needs someone to talk to who understands him.

Clarke. He needs Clarke.

He sits down on a rock just outside the camp, staring at the spot she disappeared at all those months ago. Before long, he is staring at it, the time rushing by and the sun is setting when he becomes aware of himself again. Someone had plopped down next to him, staring into the distance, too. "Welcome back, big brother. What are you thinking about?"

Octavia had washed her face, not willing to be associated with the Grounders anymore. She looks more like his little sister again, but a lot more grown up. Her eyes are harder, more mature and he is so proud of her. "Hey, O." he whispers, wrapping an arm around her. "I just wished she would come back."

"We all do." Octavia says, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I hope she didn't leave because of me, I said some awful things to her."

"Oh, O, no. She didn't leave because of you. She just couldn't just stay. I just want her back. I need her back, I can't take care of the kids without her. She's the head of this partnership." If someone told him he was going to be missing the Princess Clarke like crazy a couple of months ago, he would've laughed. Now he misses her like crazy, and he isn't laughing so much.

Octavia squeezes his arm. "She'll come back, right?"

"I hope so, O." he sighed. "I hope so."

_-BC-_

He still sits there when the sun rises again, his eyes scouting the edge of the forest. It's been 6 months, 3 weeks, 5 days and 14 hours since she left and he really needs her to come back. He rubs his face tiredly, another night wasted staring at the forest. But the day has started again, and he has responsibilities to get back to. With a sigh he turns his back to the woods and makes to sneak back into the camp. The gates are open now, and he just walks in, nobody pointing guns at him and shouting at him. He could get used to that.

"Bellamy?"

"Look, I need breakfast before..." He is _clearly _not awake yet, because he didn't immediately recognize that voice. He whirls on his feet, staring at the girl standing just outside the gate, looking to all the world as if she is deathly afraid. "Clarke?" he says carefully, taking a step forward.

"Hi." she whispers.

"Hi." he says. "How – how are you?"

She nods. "Can I – can I come back?"

Bellamy's heart breaks at how fragile her voice sounds, and scared that he would reject her. "Clarke..." he sighs, and then cracks a hopeful smile. "You can always come back." He holds out his arms to her, inviting her in. Within seconds, she runs up to him and wraps her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close and inhaling the scent of her hair. She smells more like forest and waterfalls than she did before, but he like it nonetheless. She smells like she is slowly becoming whole again.

She is trembling in his arms, and he can feel her hot tears against his shoulder. She is pressing her eyes against his skin so hard he fears she might take her eyes out if she isn't careful. But she's lifting her head already, pressing a kiss to his cheek, just like she'd done when she left, and whispers a broken, "I'm sorry," in his ear.

He grabs her tighter, swallowing back his own tears. "No, no, Clarke." he says, stroking her hair gently, pressing a kiss in it for good measure. "No, Clarke. You have nothing to be sorry for." He shushes her, soothing her sobbing. "Come on. Let's get you inside." He steps away from her to wrap his arm around her. "They'll be so happy to see you."

"Who will?" she asks, her voice trembling.

He looks up, and nudges her with a smile. "Everyone."

She lifts her head, and he watches her jaw drop. All the remaining delinquents are standing a few feet away, all smiling, Jasper even waving excitedly (it's the happiest Bellamy's seen him in months). Her eyes tear up as Monty is the first to break away and crash into her for a hug. Clarke wraps her arms around Monty tightly, hugging him and Bellamy can see it's the first real human contact she's had in a long time now that he can watch her. She melts into the embrace, and suddenly everyone is flocking around her. Jasper hugs both Monty and Clarke, and Bellamy hears him mutter a broken 'welcome back'. Then Nathan swoops in, and the rest follow, hugging her one by one, and with each hug she seems to come to life more. Bellamy smiles, watching her from the side. Next is Kane, taking her in his arms like a father would, and she accepts it without question. Raven pushes everyone aside, Wick close on her heels, and she crashes into Clarke, cursing profusely while also hugging the crap out of her.

"You stupid, idiotic woman!" Raven exclaims as she pulls away, punching Clarke's arm half-heartedly. "Don't _ever_ do that again, you hear? He's been lost without you." She jerks her head at Bellamy, who rolls his eyes and pushes Raven playfully.

"Shut up, Reyes," he growls, "you were just as lost."

Clarke laughs, a beautiful sound that warms his heart. The crows quiets suddenly, and he turns to see Abby moving through the crowd towards her daughter. Clarke shuffles her feet, looking scared again. Bellamy squeezes her hand gently. He'll always stand beside her, whatever her mother's got in store for her. "Hi, mom." she whispers.

"Oh, _Clarke._" Abby sobs, and throws her arms around Clarke's neck. Clarke smiles, her eyes filling with tears again, and the crowd breathes again. None of them had quite been able to anticipate what would happen if the two of them stood face to face again. "Welcome home, baby. Please, stay."

"I'm staying, mom." Clarke reassures her. "You can even help me in Medical," she adds jokingly, and Abby cracks a laugh (it's a weird thing, Abby hasn't really smiled since Mount Weather).

Then Bellamy catches Clarke's glance at him, and he knows immediately what she needs. "Alright, people, let's back it up!" he commands, and everyone does what he says, no questions. "Let's give her some time to settle down." He offers her his arm, which she takes gratefully, and he takes her away from the crowd. She exhales deeply, and sees her shoulders relax. "See?" he whispers. "You're home."

Clarke nods, looking up at him. The sun is setting behind her, swallowing her in a halo of light (fucking ironic, the princess is back and she's back in style) and he can't help but notice how beautiful she is. She leans her head on his shoulder then, taking another deep breath. "I'm home."

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